Rattlers Edge Snappers 4-3

GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers defeated the Beloit Snappers 4-3 on Thursday night at Neuroscience Group Field. The Rattlers have won the first two games of the three-game series between the in-state rivals.

Beloit (62-72 overall, 30-35 second half) struck first with two runs in the first inning. Josh Vidales started the game with a ground rule double to right. Luke Persico drove in Vidales with a double to right-center. Miguel Mercedes followed with an RBI single to right and the Snappers were up 2-0.

Wisconsin (57-77, 31-35) responded in the bottom of the first inning with two runs to tie the game. Trever Morrison reached on an error with one out and Andrew Susac singled to right-center to put runners on first and third. Jett Bandy followed with a double just inside the line in left to score Morrison and send Susac to third base. Dallas Carroll tied the game with a sacrifice fly.

Devin Hairston put the Rattlers in front in the second inning. Ronnie Gideon singled and went to second on a passed ball. Hairston followed with a single to right to drive in Gideon and to extend his current hitting streak to six games.

Rattlers starting pitcher Braden Webb retired eleven in a row after the RBI single by Mercedes, but that changed in the fifth as he walked the first two batters he faced on eight pitches. A sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position. Vidales drove in the tying run with a ground out.

Webb rebounded to retire the Snappers in order in the top of the sixth. He matched his single-game high as a professional for strikeouts with seven and was in line for his sixth win of the season.

The Rattlers went back in front in the bottom of the sixth inning against Beloit reliever Mitchell Jordan. Demi Orimoloye doubled to start the inning and was bunted to third base by Segovia. Gideon drove a single through the drawn-in infield and Orimoloye trotted home with the run that put Wisconsin up 4-3.

Three Wisconsin relievers held on to that lead. Rodrigo Benoit tossed a scoreless seventh inning. Daniel Brown worked a scoreless eighth and got the first out in the ninth. Chase Williams nailed down the victory - and his first professional save - by getting the final two outs.

Susac caught all nine innings for the second night in a row on his rehab assignment from the Milwaukee Brewers. He went 2-for-4 with a run score on Thursday night. Bandy was the designated hitter in the first night of his two-game rehab assignment from the Brewers and was 1-for-3 with a walk, a double, and an RBI. Bandy is scheduled to play for Wisconsin again on Friday night.

Unfortunately for the Rattlers, the second half Western Division Wild Card race came to an end on Thursday night. The Peoria Chiefs claimed the Wild Card with a 6-2 victory over the Quad Cities River Bandits at Dozer Park. The Chiefs will face Quad Cities in the first round, best-of-three series that starts on Wednesday. The Kane County Cougars and the Cedar Rapids Kernels claimed the first half playoff spots in the West and they will be the other first round, best-of-three Western Division series.
Wisconsin's final home game of the season is Friday night against the Snappers. Victor Diaz (2-5, 5.66) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Beloit has named Xavier Altamirano (7-6, 3.71) as their starter. Game time is 7:05pm. 

There will also be so much more than the game happening at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.
The Timber Rattlers have some giveaways left from earlier in the season. We will be giving them away to fans as they enter the stadium until they are gone as part of our Fan Appreciation Giveaway. 

Special Memories Petting Zoo returns with a display outside the stadium before the game. Recovery Night with Wisconsin Voices for Recovery and Face Entertainment features live music from Capo the King from Philadelphia, Ellis Brown from Feed the Dog, R. Braille, and Patience and Hope and resource tables outside the stadium.
There is one more special thing occurring before this final game of the season, the FOX Fall Fanfest Helicopter Drop. The Timber Rattlers will designate seating sections corresponding to each new Fox show Ghosted, The Orville, and The Gifted. The section corresponding to the helicopter drop zone on the field that accumulates the most tennis balls will receive a prize from the Rattlers and FOX 11. One Grand Prize winner will be selected within the winning section to receive an all-inclusive VIP luxury suite for up to 20 people for a 2018 Timber Rattlers game.
Arty's Old Fashioned drinks will be available to fans 21 and over for $3 on the final Arty's Old Fashioned Friday presented by WIXX. 

Stick around after the game to enjoy our last postgame fireworks display of the season presented by BioLife Plasma Services. Children 14 and under may participate in Kids Run the Bases thanks to Menasha Corporation after the fireworks display.
If you can't make it to the ballpark, there are several ways to follow the action. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Pregame Show at 6:45pm. The broadcast is also available on TuneIn Radio, IHeartRadio, and MiLB.tv.